The Song Reader
2 journalers for this copy...
I am suprised that Downtown Press ever published this book. When I saw this on eriko1908's wishlist, I decided to peel it off my shelf and quickly read a little bit of fluff and send it on its way. Only, this wasn't fluff. This was a beautiful, poignant and lovely coming of age story. I think that this book is so much more than anything I have ever read with the Downtown Press imprint.
The front cover reads, "Can the lyrics to a song reveal the secrets of the heart?" MaryBeth Norris believes deeply the words in a song that a person carries around are deeply associated with memories that a person may or may not be dealing with on a more conscious level. What starts out as a simple intervention becomes a regular "practice" for MaryBeth helping those who are having emotional probelms. But, MaryBeth is only burying her own grief and guilt with the good she can effect for others. When one of her interventions go wrong, the world crumbles around her and her little sister Leann is left to put the pieces of her family back together. I loved Leann. I could identify with most of her emotions and a lot of her experiences. She is a very real and believable character. This novel is so touching and strong and different. Unlike a lot of coming of age stories that are terribly disturbing, I loved the maturity that Leann summons in order to help make things better in her life, to put together the mysteries that haunted her childhood. Her discovery process truly makes her a grown-up in a very real way.
i also was fascinated with the song reading concept. I remember in the junior high school a friend of mine and I used to right down in a spiral bound notebook whatever song was stuck in our head on that particular morning. We would date each entry. I think it started a silly way to pass the time in homeroom but turned into a real experiment. We loved to see whether a song recurred for a period of days or whether a song was directly related to something we were anticipating for the day. I had forgotten about the notebook until I read this book. I wonder if it still exists? If I saved it? It was our own little song chart!
I am going to be including this in a book of goodies going out to eriko1908. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
The front cover reads, "Can the lyrics to a song reveal the secrets of the heart?" MaryBeth Norris believes deeply the words in a song that a person carries around are deeply associated with memories that a person may or may not be dealing with on a more conscious level. What starts out as a simple intervention becomes a regular "practice" for MaryBeth helping those who are having emotional probelms. But, MaryBeth is only burying her own grief and guilt with the good she can effect for others. When one of her interventions go wrong, the world crumbles around her and her little sister Leann is left to put the pieces of her family back together. I loved Leann. I could identify with most of her emotions and a lot of her experiences. She is a very real and believable character. This novel is so touching and strong and different. Unlike a lot of coming of age stories that are terribly disturbing, I loved the maturity that Leann summons in order to help make things better in her life, to put together the mysteries that haunted her childhood. Her discovery process truly makes her a grown-up in a very real way.
i also was fascinated with the song reading concept. I remember in the junior high school a friend of mine and I used to right down in a spiral bound notebook whatever song was stuck in our head on that particular morning. We would date each entry. I think it started a silly way to pass the time in homeroom but turned into a real experiment. We loved to see whether a song recurred for a period of days or whether a song was directly related to something we were anticipating for the day. I had forgotten about the notebook until I read this book. I wonder if it still exists? If I saved it? It was our own little song chart!
I am going to be including this in a book of goodies going out to eriko1908. I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.
Released 19 yrs ago (4/21/2005 UTC) at
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
RELEASE NOTES:
Fairy godmother is sending out a box full of wishes! Enjoy!
Fairy godmother is sending out a box full of wishes! Enjoy!
Another one from my wishlist that was sent as a treat...thanks again MandMsMom!! :O)
I enjoyed this one! I got a bit annoyed in the middle during Mary Beth's little "episode", it was hard for me to accept that she just let her life go as easily as that...
I, too, was surprised by the content of this book...I didn't expect it to be that deep of a story.
Thanks again for sharing, MandMsMom!! :O)
I, too, was surprised by the content of this book...I didn't expect it to be that deep of a story.
Thanks again for sharing, MandMsMom!! :O)
